Newly Released: Michael Jordan on the GOAT Debate & Olympic Experience
This was a great conversation, and I love how Jordan has always been consistent with this take.
Even when playing in the 90’s, Jordan talked about how ridiculous it is to compare eras and how he is who he is because of players like Dr. J.
There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that sports and athletes evolve every generation, but it’s also important to acknowledge that the only reason that evolution can happen is because of the prior generations. And in terms of the raw “who’s better” question, it’s something we’ll never have an answer to and so there’s really no reason for anyone to ever get bent over shape with it.
I always go by legacies. Like Jordan’s “legacy” to me is the greatest because of what he did for the game and the amazing 2 3 peats/6-0 in the finals that we probably will never see again. But it’s impossible to compare eras because the newer ones were always built from the previous. At one point, the greatest basketball player in the world was in a Naismith gym class lol.
His legacy is the greatest because so many things, but evidenced here is his magnanimity, his diplomacy and his charisma.
Nobody ever had all that quite like MJ.
his magnanimity
Watch his HOF induction speech and get back to us.
It actually wasn’t even that bad
He spent like 5 minutes of his HOF induction speech airing grievances, including shitting on a HS coach, that ain’t magnanimity my man.
And it was funny and the audience had a good time
lol
Yeah we can never say who the better player is. And for example in football, I can’t say Messi is “greater” than Pele or Maradona and other players with matching legacies, as much as people these days like to argue about it. But I do think Jordan has a good claim to being the greatest. What he meant for basketball is not comparable to anyone else imo.
I think just being in the conversation of GOAT means you made it. You are top tier in the sport. When it comes to who actually is the goat will always be debatable but having a resumè that qualifies you for the debate is already huge.
>Like Jordan’s “legacy” to me is the greatest because of what he did for the game and the amazing 2 3 peats/6-0 in the finals that we probably will never see again.
Actually, if you’re evaluating it that way, your pick should be Bill Russell.
Its a little more nuanced than that for obvious reasons you surely know lol
i get that but people will say that like Jordan’s case is bullet proof and then not accept the Russel case… just inconsistent reasoning. we should just let us have multiple GOATs
Because it’s different for each era
Russell never popularized basketball on a global level like Jordan, how he’s evaluating it is completely fair
Magic and Bird saved basketball when it was at it’s least popular, if we are talking about popularizing basketball those two carried a LOT of that.
The two three-peat part being singled out tho… like there is an eight-peat just sitting there
Yeah but he also lost a finals like… embarrassing
Russell got injured during Game 3 of the 1958 Finals and that’s considered the main reason Boston lost. Then he got better and they 8-peated. Bill Russell’s the GOAT
Ok grampa it’s time for bed
Absolutely. I agree with you 100%. I’ve never seen an interview where Jordan called himself the greatest player ever. He’s always given credit to the people who came before him. That’s why it’s so corny that LeBron calls himself the GOAT. If you’re really the GOAT, you shouldn’t have to make a self-proclamation. Your peers and people who are entrenched in the game will call you that.
. If you’re really the GOAT, you shouldn’t have to make a self-proclamation
What do you think the last dance was?
A documentary
A puff piece “documentary” that he had full creative control over and only greenlit (after a years of repeatedly saying no) immediately after LeBron had what was arguably the greatest finals of all time and the GOAT talk started becoming more widespread.
Before the last dance, there were rumors of his difficulties with teammates from Sam Smiths’ Jordan Rules book and his desire to not pass to Cartwright late in games. Other than that and expletives and leaked info possibly from Grant, it wasn’t really clear how competitive he was and how much he pushed his teammates.
You can argue it’s a puff piece, but the fact that teammates talked about how difficult he was, how he punched Kerr and we heard from both sides, and that Jordan basically admitted how his competitive drive prevented him from being friends with a lot of teammates really goes against the notion of a puff piece. It discussed his Knicks series gambling in AC and his father’s disappearance and murder. It was far from a puff piece “Be Like Mike” Gatorade commercial.
Yes, he had some control on the content but it’s obvious there were many things in the series that were quite critical of him or his mentality.
Would I have liked to hear anything from Luc Longley? Sure. Would I have liked more from 98 and prior teammates? Yes, absolutely. It would have been outstanding to have more from the eastern conference rivalries with Mark Price/Daugherty of the cavs, Ewing/Starks/McDaniel/Smith/Wilkins/Riley of the Knicks, Miller/Smits/Davis/Davis/ of the Pacers, Rodman/Thomas/Dumars/Laimbeer/Edwards/Salley of the Pistons, etc.
Hey I still listen to “Be Like Mike” Gatorade song. One of the greatest commercial jingles ever…
The “criticisms” of him were extremely milquetoast, the equivalent of being in an interview and answering “what is your biggest weakness?” with “I work too hard and care too much”. At the same time other vital contributors were treated much less kindly by the narrative (Krause, Pippen, etc).
It’s not like revealing that he was a hyper competitive jackass was novel, it had been well known for decades at that point. Them acknowledging that it created tension in the clubhouse wasn’t some revealing news, it was the absolute bare minimum required to have some veneer of credibility.
What criticism of Jordan was not raised in the documentary?
I recall criticisms of gambling, the speculation surrounding his father’s disappearance and ultimate murder, 95 Orlando series letdown, don’t pass to Cartwright / Jordan Rules book, poor shooting series against the Knicks and others, pushing teammates too far (Kerr, Pippen, Wennington, Burrell, Armstrong, Grant), etc.
Players openly discussing how difficult he was was absolutely new material. This was something that was locker room known but faces and names talking about it was not something we had previously.
I don’t know what to say about Krause. He was a mixed bag. He had some great moves and some terrible ones. Pippen, Rodman, Grant, and Kukoc are among his best ones. He also missed terribly on many draft picks and could not get a center or big man other than Grant no matter how many times he tried.
But breaking up a dynasty to roll the dice is just the truth. Krause pushed out Jackson and all of the players. That was the cornerstone of the Last Dance and is the title of the documentary. There’s no getting around what Krause did there.
Pippen could have had a bit more material but then again, Luc had 0. Grant also deserved some recognition but since it was concentrated on the 98 season story, he wasn’t there and so the first 3 peat had very little content from the players of those teams. I still contend that Grant was one of the first guys who dealt with the Pistons physical defense and actually stood up to them. Yes, he didn’t come out on top and failed may times but having a big man in the middle who could handle that type of pressure was certainly something that Jordan and the Bulls needed.
Pippen’s contract situation and shortcomings in the playoffs are apart of his legacy and come with a bunch of clutch plays and great series. He was absolutely critical but also very streaky and other than having more content, 2-3 more episodes, I think they did him pretty fairly.
I’ll also add the Rodman deal might look amazing after they won but it was not at all a good move at the time. No one wanted him and the spurs gave him away like a cancer in exchange Will Perdue. That was a Jackson / Jordan special. They both recognized the need for Rodman and felt they could keep him as productive as possible. Pippen didn’t want him at first but he also recognized how he provided what they needed. This was certainly a team effort and not just a great GM move.
Yes, that was Krause but it could have gone really bad and even though it worked out, it wasn’t without problems… Rodman was suspended by the league or team or bailed on games so often that he didn’t make the all star team even though he probably should have if he started more games in 96.
I’ll also add the Rodman deal might look amazing after they won but it was not at all a good move at the time.
It absolutely was a good move at the time, it was a gamble, but it was clearly a move with huge upside. The consensus was “if Jackson can manage Rodman’s personality it is going to be a game changer for the Bulls”. They desperately needed a defensive presence on the interior after losing Grant (as their unceremonious exit in the playoffs the year before proved), and he was by far the best defender available at the time and could be had on a discount. Major potential upside, relatively limited downside, how is that “not a good move”?
No one wanted him and the spurs gave him away like a cancer in exchange Will Perdue.
The spurs didn’t want him because he couldn’t fit with their team culture.
That was a Jackson / Jordan special.
What did Jordan have to do with it? He wasn’t the coach. The lengths Jackson went to in order to ensure Rodman would buy in were legendary, give him the credit he is due.
Pippen didn’t want him at first but he also recognized how he provided what they needed.
Both Jordan and Pippen were consulted ahead of time, and they agreed that Jackson would be able to manage Rodman.
This was certainly a team effort and not just a great GM move.
The GM picked the personnel that fit the needs of his team and that he wagered that his coach would be able to get the most out of. The mental gymnastics to avoid giving Krause credit for anything is borderline absurd.
Pippen, Rodman, Grant, and Kukoc are among his best ones. He also missed terribly on many draft picks and could not get a center or big man other than Grant no matter how many times he tried.
There were no talented bigs on the market, particularly with what the notoriously cheap Reinsdorf was willing to let him spend. That’s one reason why he ended up with Rodman, he was a terrific player but because of his personality could be had at a massive discount.
Well, what the owner instructed Krause to do. They absolutely did Krause dirty here, in 98 the Bulls had over twice the payroll that the Jazz did and the moment they weren’t going to be contending Reinsdorf no longer wanted to pay for it.
so what do you call this? https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/more_than_a_game
I don’t recall arguing that LeBron doesn’t do it, so not sure why that’s relevant. Motherfuckers are tripping if they believe Jordan doesn’t care if people think he’s the GOAT though, regardless of his PR friendly interview responses.
We’re not mind readers. It could be true, but all we know for certain is MJ has never called himself the GOAT and always gave credit to the players before him. While Lebron has actually called himself the GOAT.
So why do you think you know MJ more than anyone else? MJ clearly states how he feels about it.
It was only widespread in klutch circles
Jordan never had to deal with the scrutiny of playing through social media and 24⁄7 shit talking media. He was beloved and embraced his entire career. I assume, knowing how petty and sensitive Jordan can be, that he would be firing back much louder than LeBron ever has.
It’s just a different time to be a famous person than the 90s was. People on here never shut the fuck up about this conversation and just enjoy watching the greatness in front of them. It’s the most annoying conversation in sports and it has destroyed the legacies of many of the pioneers of the sport like Oscar and West, which MJ regards so highly.
I have enjoyed both of their careers and the careers of many others. I love the sport but it seems so many others are only interested in the drama of this subject.
Terrible take, people didn’t start talking when social media came around. Jordan was in the news ALL the time and anyone who talked basketball talked Jordan, around the globe. Literally thousands of people around him talking about him at all time everytime he steps into a new city.
Ok but social media is completely different and so is the sports media compared to the 90s. There was a lot less animosity towards people in the media back then. Keyboard warriors didn’t exist, words didn’t spread like they do today. If you don’t think that social media and 24⁄7 news cycles have had an impact on this shit, keep your head in the sand. Just cause some Knicks and Pacers fans hated him doesn’t mean he dealt with the same levels of this shit.
Oh no. Not keyboard warriors
Alright dude. You’re right. The 90s were exactly the same media presence as today. Athletes are treated the exact same way. You fucks go from complaining about all this drama from talking heads and stupid takes on the internet these days and reminiscing about the days when it was 12 hours of SportsCenter a day to now saying that nothing has changed.
Oh no stupid takes. How could lebron possibly handle it
Jordan got butt hurt when Barkley said he was a bad owner and ended the friendship, you don’t think he would be all over people talking shit? It’s cool dude, you passionately hate LeBron and want to suck Jordan off. Do your thing.
Oh no not shit talking
I don’t know, the media was limited back then so if anything the power of the pen was mightier than it is today. One reporter breaking a story, such as Jordan gambling in AC during a break in the Knicks playoff series, may have had some delay in the story getting “published”, but it absolutely dominated EVERYTHING because there were so few media outlets back then. Once as story broke out, it stayed in the news longer and often the players had to answer to it. Now, these stories seem to come and go.
So, I agree with you regarding the amount of media and social media out there today but at the same time, trying to get these stories to catch on and stay in the news when there’s so many outlets and people watching different sources, it’s just not the same as back then.
People didn’t obsess over this shit and they didn’t congregate together to be a hive mind. This conversation absolutely changed with social media and especially the appearance of LeBron threatening the conversation happening at the same time.
Shit also died off quickly and was forgotten. Everything discussed here is the same comments over and over. It’s the same slop regurgitated over and over. Nothing new. The actual media also is driven by what is constantly discussed here and on social media. It’s what you people want to hear about obviously because it’s all you talk about.
But SAS & Mad Dog will debate that instead of talking about the World Series on a Wednesday episode of First Take cause fuck it, they got no skin in the ballgame. Gotta talk LBJ or the ratings will crater! Or the Cowgirls. Or the Lakers in general.
You are sitting on here talking about it now. Don’t get mad when they talk about the sane shut you talk about.
This is what I will never understand about fans. You constantly have these discussions about the GOAT, Lebron, etc. then you wonder why all these sports shows talk about the same things.
Yes they are doing it for ratings. It’s a business.
In this sub, people pretty much talk about a handful of players at best. You have Laker fans bitching about Lebron. Throw some how good Wendy is Discussion into the mix. Then too to top that off let’s go with who is better than who and who is the GOAT.
Oh yeah you may get a little how Jokic and his brothers will be everyone’s ass.
These shows cater to the discussions online sports “fans” have
And this is why Lebron will never be the GOAT despite self anointing himself is the biggest joke ever. Also another humble lesson to Pod JJ calling the older generations Plumbers & Firemen. Lack of class of inteligence. MJ as many other greats, always play respect to the ones before and after.
Lmao are you serious? Jordan might be respectful but 99% of former players do nothing but hate on the generations that came after them, making up fake talking points like how defense was better in the 80s/90s or how shooting threes is less skillful than the old style or how they used to play hard in the all star game.
Jordan has been very consistent with his opinion on the GOAT debate and comparing across eras. He’s also been very complimentary even when he was playing talking about those who came before him. He’s obviously very secure with his place in history, and doesn’t feel the need to “boost” his case or have others do it for him.
I appreciated him giving flowers to both current great players and not just the past players. It’s refreshing
It’s funny cause Lebron on the other hand has just straight up called himself the GOAT
This might be crazy but maybe if MJ or Lebron call themselves the GOAT they’re right and they’re both allowed to
Crazy, I know
This. There’s no way someone 3peats twice or goes to 8 consecutive finals with 2 different organizations and thinks “I’m not the GOAT.”
Confidence and desire to the best of your era is quite different from being a student of the history of the game.
That is really the whole thing. Respect. Jordan didn’t always respect the prior eras publicly but then he learned more about the the history and importance of carrying the mantel and then always spoke highly of prior eras.
Neither of these amazing accomplishments compares to Russel in a smaller league with concentrated talent. Sure, the talent was less than today but it’s also squeezed into less teams. Sure, they played less playoff games but the track record is still to be respected at the very least.
10-0 in game 7s. People love to think the Celtics were absolutely destroying teams but being 5-0 in game 7s in the finals is absolutely nuts and is a clear indication that they were able to squeak out some wins with supreme confidence, clutch play, and some luck. Russel turned an average defensive team into the league best basically on his own. He did what was needed to win and did it better than anyone has ever done it.
Yes, you can be supremely confident in your accomplishments but as these guys get older, they realize how important legacies are and how the game’s history should be respected.
Thank god, someone else who isn’t rabidly partisan about the debate. For the past five or so years I’ve been of the view that MJ and LeBron both have really solid, persuasive GOAT cases. Kinda depends on how you weigh different things. Personally I go MJ, but I’m not gonna say it’s utterly ridiculous for someone to have LeBron, and I don’t have a problem with LeBron considering himself the GOAT.
MJ is the GOAT to me because of his career but in an all-time draft I believe LeBron gets picked first and MJ second.
It’s extremely corny to declare it unprompted
LBJ would be wrong. 4-6
8 consecutive finals > not making the finals
you should never be applauded for not making deeper runs, losing early isn’t better lol
GOAT has taken a meaning beyond the original textbook definition. I believe in ERA GOATS. Bill Russell —> Kareem —> Michael —> Bronulus —> Wemby
Mj did it too that’s why he got into that argument with Wilt Chamberlain at nba 50th anniversary when they were arguing about who the goat is. Behind closed doors everyone talks about how Mj is competitive and a shit talker. Don’t let the media Pr answer fool you guys.
Guys shit talking for fun behind closed doors (which is always going to be based on rumors and speculation) is meaningless compared to what guys say on the record/in public.
I’m sure tons of guys shit talk behind the scenes
This is Micheal Jordan we’re talking about here since when did he turn off his competitiveness and make it about fun ?
Ya no shit he thinks he’s the goat lol what all time great player doesn’t deep down believe they are the best? That’s wildly different from openly declaring it in public
Yeah, he got smacked down by Wilt and doesn’t have the confidence to say it in public, unlike LeBron. That is wildly different.
No it isn’t wtf that’s literally lying bold face to the public.
But the media pr answers are ultimately their answers on record. If they really think they’re the goat and that matters to them, then they’ll say it.
It’s funny you think the same thing said to media is the same thing being said behind closed doors.
It’s funny you think you know these people at all.
Every one has the same story about how competitive Micheal Jordan is there’s no way he gets a level head when talking about the goat amongst his peers. Why else would he argue with wilt chamberlain about the greatest of all time.
But who gives a shit? Most of his answers, including his latest one, are exactly this. If you want to try and sneak into his closet and record his “real” answers be everyone’s guest.
Obviously, you give a shit why else would you comment.
….what?
So did Kobe, what’s your point?
Most overrated player of all time.
I mean after defeating a 73-9 warriors from a comeback, yeah he said he felt like he was in that moment.
Well it’s cause hes right and didn’t play against plumbers and substitute teachers like Jordan did in the 90s. The game was so unskilled back then; if you drop mj in today’s league he’d be lucky to be at around Jaylen Brown or Demar Derozan lvl lol
It’s funny how similar it is with Messi and Ronaldo in football.
Most people would say Jordan/Messi are the GOAT and they’re both completely secure about it so brush off the conversations and don’t play into it because they don’t have to.
Ronaldo/Lebron are completely insecure about not being ‘the GOAT’ and have to tell everybody they are.
Oh lord. Here we go with the pearl clutching.
I mean he’s secure with his place in history because everyone recognizes him as the goat. No one ever says is Jordan as good as <fill in the blank>.
Everyone? Id say a large chunk, if not the majority of fans and players say lebron is their goat now
Fair, but the point is everyone is comparing Lebron to Jordan. That’s the default debate. Jordan knows he’s the epicenter for all comparison, so whether or not Lebron is the best, it still means the conversation starts and ends with him.
That’s really only because Jordan came before Lebron. I’d argue that if the internet was around during his time they’d be comparing Jordan to an all time great before him as well.
Even if that’s true, the thread is about why Jordan is so secure with his place in history. The argument isn’t whether or not Jordan is the GOAT nor is it why people compares everyone legends to Jordan, but why Jordan couldn’t care less about the GOAT debate. Because the answer he probably would if there was enough people who doubted his greatness.
This is an MJ thread they not gon acknowledge that lol
Lol that’s fair. Ill just wait till next week for lebron to break yet another record before I bring this up again
He literally produced a full documentary to boost his image and bring down his peers to strengthen his case. While keeping complete creative control
I’ll never understand this sentiment, various episodes basically spotlighting the journeys of his teammates on said Last Dance Chicago Bulls team, and yet y’all still make these bad faith arguments.
Talk to almost every ex player about that doc. It literally destroyed his relationship with Pippen because of how much he undermined what Pippen did.
He’s obviously very secure with his place in history
That’s because all of his closest competition is either retired at this point or soon to be. He was very critical towards prime Kobe and Lebron when they were still in a position to maybe pass him in rings or MVPs.
If Wemby starts winning MVPs in the next year or two, guarantee MJ will start to criticize him too.
Its always nice to hear Jordan talk about him wanting to compete with all the players in every era, and that he doesn’t consider himself the GOAT because he has not played with the players that came before him. Gives props to every player/ era and then also mentions how this GOAT debate creates animosity.
And Jordan talking about the “game of basketball” like its the Holy Grail/ Holy Bible will never sound old to me.
Yeah, and while others claim that he did/does shit-talk with the best players of previous/later generations behind the scenes, I don’t think that that’s a contradiction either.
One side is what he rationally knows and the other is what any professional athlete at that level believes.
The part where he emphasizes that he would have loved to play against the best of each era bridges those two ways of looking at the world: he believes he’s the best but also knows he has to go out there to prove it. And he knows he can’t do that across eras so he keeps his beliefs in check in public.
He’s said he doesn’t like to watch basketball today bc the game has changed too much so eh
I agree with him that today’s game isn’t as good. More technical, sure but I really hate a lot of aspects of this current form of NBA.
Personally I think the game is worse, don’t get me wrong I’m not trying to bring back 04-05 levels of defense but there’s a middle ground between that and bad teams scoring 130 and still getting blown out. That’s before getting into all the weird ways they officiate the game (can’t even look at the offensive player on defense but the offensive player can ignore all dribbling rules in the process of “attempting a shot”). I’m a huge fan, I’ve watch way more than your average fan in terms of number of games watched, I don’t think I’ve watched a full game this year, mostly highlights cause the product just isn’t that good
For 25 years, the NBA was THE sport for me. I watched hundreds of games a year, including EVERY playoff game many seasons (the only exception was if two games were on at the same time, I couldn’t always have both on). Then KD went to the Warriors and the league just turned into threes all day trying to be like Steph Curry (I love watching Steph, but I don’t love watching everybody else trying to be him). Moneyball made the league incredibly boring to me. A game that I loved to watch became homogeneous and stale to me- there are a few exceptions, but by and large.
I try every so often to watch and see if the magic is back. And for me it just isn’t. I will still watch on occasion and I keep up with what’s going on, but the NBA is not even a top 3 sport for me to watch. Going to a game is still fun and I do enjoy doing that. I’m glad that there are still plenty of people who do love it and many that probably grew up with this version of the game that love it the way I love the pre-Moneyball era.
LeBron and KD for as great as they are did a ton of damage to the mystique of basketball, they ushered in the teamhopper/mercenary era of the nba smh
As if team hopping is new
Its way different nowadays compared to the 2000s and b4, the 08 Celtics were the catalyst. Now stars switch teams every couple of years
dear diary
A lot of people agree with him thats why viewers are down. Some people dont enjoy players shooting 30 3pts from the halfcourt logo in a half.
Respectfully, I’ll accept his opinion over yours.
I watch less basketball than I did in 90s and early 200s. I still love basketball. What’s your point?
The way Jordan calls it “the game of basketball” makes it seem so epic. Regardless of the GOAT debate on the court, he’s the GOAT of making the sport seem cool.
We do a similar thing in Australia with Aussie rules - commentators love calling it “our great game”. Always thought it gives it a gravitas
It’s honestly why I consider him the goat. Around the globe people associate basketball with Michael Jordan. I don’t think any player accomplished something like that.
MJ would do anything to get some magic pill that will allow him to play against prime Kobe, prime Lebron and prime whoever is in the GOAT conversation because he’s THAT competitive. Love MJ, he’s the best.
I really appreciate his take as someone that doesn’t do the goat comparison and discussions.
This is really the only rational take. I know Barkley summarized it in the same way.
But NBA fans statistically love drama, lists, any subjective debate, so it will continue forever!
Kobe said Jordan would ask him, after both were retired, who was better at their prime after a few drinks at dinner. This happened more than once if I recall correctly.
Jordan is the most competitive sob in basketball. He’s full of it.
MJ is the GOTE - (Greatest Of Their Era) just like Lebron is. Agree with everything stated here.
Don’t know why u being downvoted
Because fools hate nuance and feel threatened by having to think outside their biases.
Curry is the greatest of the Lebron era.
Curry is the best pure shooter to ever pick up a basketball.
He is not and has never been better than Lebron at the overall game.
It’s kind of hard to argue you’re the greatest when another player on your team wins two final MVPs from under you.
If you aren’t even the greatest on your team, how could you be the greatest of all time?
You mean KD
neither of them are so idk why they are brought up.
I doubt most people think that Kevin “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” Durant is the GOAT.
i like the calm jordan
straight from the go jordan
It’s crazy how they’ve milked the equivalent of a podcast episode cut into clips over the length of an entire NBA season lmao people legit thought MJ was going to be part of the broadcast
Off the charts load management by MJ.
MJ is a great ambassador for the game of basketball.
Is he
Ye
On the court when MJ had those eyes, you knew shit was over
Jordan said about this GOAT thing for so long as he said want to play against Bill aswell various others to see who’s no.1. Jordan gave huge respect to legends that comes before him while today players disrespect.
Notice the difference between MJ and LeBron on this topic. MJ is a far wiser man.
Rent free
Ofc it’s a Celtics fan
4-6
There is no goat debate. lol
I love how much he admires the legends from the past. He always hypes up the guys from the 60s
Always love MJs respect for the game of basketball, just hearing him talk about it you can tell he misses it like crazy.
I enjoy the GOAT conversation a lot, still kinda torn on who to pick, but I 100% agree with Michael about this tendency to downplay or ignore certain generations because of it. MJ kinda only focuses on the past, but (not sarcastic) I think he’d probably agree it happens in the reverse as well, especially considering guys like Wilt were on record saying they’d average 70 or whatever back in the 80’s.
We can have these conversations without belittling the past, present, or future of the league.
spoken like a true goat
Whenever I hear players talk about the goat, I always hear them say they were great players but that the other players were also great as well. But these dumb Jordan, Kobe, LeBron fans love to stir the pot and get emotional over the stupidest shit ever. I used to get emotional of the goat debate like a lot of people but once you realize how stupid you sound discrediting an all time great just to prop up someone else, it’s just dumb. Jordan and LeBron will always be 1 TOGETHER in my books.
MJ is the best their was the best there is and the best the ever will be…
Fully agree with everything he said in this video, but he’s my GOAT. Fond memories watching him as a kid in the 90s and he made me fall in love with bball.
The media did that for him.
You know why Jordans the greatest of all time? , coz he used to go for kill. He was there to win everytime, he had absolute dedication and was a petty being. He wanted to dominate his opponents, he brought his best game always on both sides of the floor. Finesse, style, power and authority over his opponents. Even if people didn’t watch him play, yet kids today still know who Micheal Jordan is.
Durability, 2 way beast, clutch shot taker and clutch shot maker.
6-0 in the finals. I believe they could have gone for one more had the Bulls kept their roster after that.
Edit: everything you say actually shows your knowledge about the game of basketball. I can’t argue that comparing eras is not a sane argument coz game has evolved a lot more than what it was. Medical science advancing, sports technology at its peak. Back then that wasn’t the case. Jordan was just tough mentally and the way he approached the game of basketball l. An absolute competitor, a petty, petty being but everyone would love to play on his team. All he cared about was giving his best every night like he owed the world the basketball he played and his addiction to winning. Do you see his highlights on YouTube? Let me assure you, fans saw it live every game he laced up for. His passion for basketball outweights everyone who played before him, he took it to another level with his skills. I remember me as a teen, coming out of games with tongue out though I wasn’t from Chicago. Every kid in my school must have done that trying to go into kill mode. There’s no one else like Jordan, no one ever will.
There won’t be another Lebron.
There won’t be another Steph.
There won’t be another Kobe
There won’t be another Magic
There won’t be another Larry or Bill or Wilt ot Shaq or Timmy or KG or Dirk and so on.
Every sports passionate freak wants to either play with the best player or play against the best player. There’s no in between.
I can bet every dollar I got that every legend we witnessed wanted to either play with Jordan or play against him to test their own level. If that ain’t greatness, I don’t know what is.
This has got to be satire lmao.
Why?
MJ is the goat, no matter what this younger generation thinks.
Played against plumbers btw; in todays league, he’s basically jaylen brown or demar derozan with good pr lol
Magic bird Hakeem Barkley Malone Robinson Ewing Shaq mutombo and Isiah are not plumbers
Did Spongebob tell you that?
MJ never took a game off. He showed up for his teammates and the fans every single night that he was able. Not many in this current crop of players that have that same respect for their duty to their fans.
He literally retired thrice lol.
Players are allowed to retire. Players that fans pay hard earned money to watch, who fans often times make big sacrifices to go watch, who are on the roster and don’t play when they can, is an entirely different thing. Nobody expected Jordan to be on the court in 95.
Also he loved squeezing butts
Forgottenness
Damn I love the way he says “The game of basketball”. Brings a whole level of elegance and statesmanship to the conversation that’s been lost.
MJ has the balance right. He can never prove he was the greatest, he knows he is in the conversation, he knows he would win the popular vote, so what more can he do. It’s the public who decide the GOAT, and not the players.
Only the true GOAT wouldnt call himself the GOAT. They let others call him the GOAT. If you have to call yourself the GOAT….you aint it chief.
Only thing I’d add is, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t care about the goat debate, it does seem to at least federate a lot of interest in the league for those fans that do care about that Lebron vs Jordan 🐐 debate.
has the full interview been released yet?
Did he talk about Daytona?
very logical reasons why it’s pointless and actually damaging - answer from the host: BuT iTs FuN to TaLk aBouT
Has this full interview been released?
Perfect take, but… You can see, underneath, he feels like he’d love to lace’em up right now & show these “kids”, taking s*#t, what’s up.
I agree it’s hard to compare eras
I still think LeBron is way better
The trick to hear somebody’s more honest opinion is to compliment the other player. If you just say “who’s the GOAT?” or “Are you better than Lebron?” Jordan won’t answer. But if you say “Lebron is the GOAT.” Or, more realistically, just imply that Lebron is amazing or say his scoring record is untouchable or something similar, MJ will much more likely start telling you about Lebron’s flaws.
JORDAN IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE FUCKING GOAT
Have they done one long interview, chopped it into many parts, and are now going to release it bit by bit over the next 10 years?
This man said team usa gon have a hardtime “at home” playing against international players in the 2028 Olympics in LA. WTF is He Drinking?
Peak LeBron would bust his ass so he don’t want that smoke
Is he…. Sober??
Jordan literally argued with Wilt Chamberlain back in the day about being the GOAT. Wilt ended that argument by saying the game changing their rules to make it harder for him but easier for Jordan. Bill Walton was there to hear this. I do not understand how anything negative about Jordan is just easily forgotten. Jordan did not always have this stance that we hear today. Jordan called himself Black Jesus ffs.
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this topic gets daily discussion on all forms of social media yes all of them
Next Episode: The Triangle Offense and will the 3 point line change the NBA?
Ask him about that kid’s butt you coward 😂
After you ask Lebron about them Diddy parties.
Once we get video footage like with MJ sure.
Literally, also it’s funny NBA can’t take a little circlejerking.
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Bro lmaooo this is a pre-recorded interview from the summer. Wouldn’t be possible. Thanks for the laugh though 🤣
I’m not even watching this or any other releases. They recorded this interview over the summer and keep releasing episodes/clips every 1-2 months. They hyped it up like MJ was going to give some in depth commentary prior to the season but it’s underwhelming and not relevant. Who wants to wait around to watch a pre-recorded interview
Well just wait until the last piece releases. The same way you might want you a season of a show finished to binge it.
Sorry but being 4-6 in the NBA finals takes you out of the GOAT conversation respectfully. Kobe is my GOAT, he played against and won against the most 50 win teams in playoff history. I love Jordan but he had his robin throughout his legendary run when Kobe didn’t. Closest thing to robin I guess you can say is that Fisher was there for his legendary runs.
Kobe was Shaq’s robin for the first 3. Kobe copied everything he did from MJ and wasn’t as good at it. MJ averaged 5 more PPG, has more steals, assists, rebounds , and blocks per game while committing fewer turnovers. Nothing wrong with being the #2 sg of all-time but there’s no argument to be made that he’s better than Mike. Mike is just being nice mentioning him.
But Shaq wasn’t there for his secondary championship run. It was Pau Gasol which made the feat imo better.
Shaq was the best player during the first three peat. Pau Gasol was the best player on the floor for many of the games in the 09 and 10 playoffs. Kobe was 6-24 in game 7 2010. Without Pau and Artest he doesn’t win that one.
How is 4-6 in the finals a disqualifier for GOAT for LeBron but Kobe’s lakers getting bounced 5 times earlier in the playoffs (03 onwards when he was the best player) not a factor? Getting bounced in the first round 3 times (06, 07, 10) is better than making the finals and losing? There are stats that support Kobe’s greatness such as the caliber of teams he beat (50 wins) but you have to be consistent if you’re taking the finals losses as a detractor for LeBron. We can all name the matchups and the losers of the finals. Nobody remembers the first round exits. Some of the most memorable ones in the last 20 years are actually all Kobe’s Lakers losing to Pheonx twice and embarrassingly to the Mavs in 2011. That’s a much bigger black mark on his legacy than LeBron losing to them in the finals the same year. They were swept and blown out in game 4.
Kobe lost in 1st round in 07 but that’s better than Bron losing to Spurs in the finals? Make it make sense.
Kobe had scrubs in those playoff losses. During Kobe’s peak prime years he was surrounded by bums. LeBron losing in the most important games cannot be overlooked. Losing on the biggest stage more than winning is a huge blemish. Lebron played in the weak ass eastern conference while Kobe played in the tough western conference which is why Kobe won against the most 50 win teams in playoff history. Kobe didn’t get bounced out the playoffs in 2010 and those phoenix suns were great teams while again Kobe had bums and everyone remembers those Phoenix Suns so you saying nobody remember 1st round exits while you are saying it contradicts yourself. Check the teams when Kobe faced the Suns and tell me who Kobe had to help him, Smush fucking Parker as the starting PG along with starting center Kwame Brown. Lebron got embarrassed by those same 2011 mavericks that you are talking about in the finals (the biggest stage and heavy favorites). LeBron doesn’t get those Heat rings without Ray Allen bailing them out along with wade and Bosh. Pau was not the best player during his back to back. Kobe was 6-24 game 7 (6 of those fgs misses was from the 3pt) but that game he did all the little things that get overlooked because of his field goal percentage. Lakers as a whole team shot 33% from the field. He was rebounding (15), hustling on defense setting the tone, getting to the free throw line (11-15) and willing his team to victory. Check out Rondo’s take on Kobe in that series and that game. Jordan is 6-0 in the finals, Kobe is 5-2, and LeBron is 4-6. Hell even Curry is 4-2, Wade is 3-2, and Kevin Durant is 2-2. Even if we take away Lebrons first finals appearance in which he was swept, he would still have a losing record in the finals. Make it make sense that the man who self proclaims himself as the GOAT has a losing record in a series that matters the most. On the biggest stage when the lights are the brightest he has a losing record. Make that make sense!
You actually lack way too much reading comprehension to even respond at this point. I’m out.
Jordan was the GOAT until he got caught touching that kid. Now LeBron is the GOAT